Earlier this year, I released a model for business growth called a Jewel Business.
A “jewel business” is a company that fulfills the following 30/30/30 criteria:
- 30% revenue growth per year (until such time that the founder chooses to accelerate or decelerate growth);
- 30% profit margin per year
- 30% open, unscheduled time for the founder
A jewel business delivers an optimal amount of cash, influence, and autonomy to a founder courageous enough to build her business this way.
The reason I created this model is that when you ask an entrepreneur how much she wants to grow her company this year, the answer is typically along the lines of “as much as possible.” But before you high five her and dole out “you go girls” celebrating her boundless ambition, consider this:
In practice, setting a goal of “as much as possible” is actually setting a “goal” of “never enough.”
This “never enough” growth model is THE pervading model of growth throughout most of the world, and it feeds on, chews up and spits out our wellbeing.
Since my days as a business journalist covering the country’s highest growth companies, I have seen the “never enough” growth model drive stress, burnout, disease, marital breakdowns, insolvency, and a heightened state of panic masquerading as intensity.
Earlier this month, the bravest, toughest, grittiest, most badass woman on the planet — I’m talking about Simone Biles, of course — pulled out of Olympic competition largely because of the INTENSE PRESSURE of “never enough” culture and its resulting impacts on mental wellbeing. Honestly, Simone Biles is (again) an exception.
Because the problem is that most of the people who talk about how damaging that “never enough” model of growth truly is:
a) appeared to me to be broke hippies…
…And while I love broke hippies, I’m loath to take business advice from them;
b) provided no alternative aside from vague incantations to “slip into a state of flow.”
While I scorn the “never enough” growth model with the fullness of my being…
…I’m not ready (nor will I ever be ready) to move to the commune.
I want to keep my ambition AND my well-being. I personally enjoy being rich, healthy, and happy.
Ergo, I created a sensible and sustainable model of growth for women entrepreneurs and it’s called a “Jewel Business.” My program, The Jewel Business Accelerator, is designed to help entrepreneurs actually build jewel businesses that deliver, with time, patience, and dedication, 7 figure revenues, 6 figure profits, and hundreds of hours of open time.
Some of our clients accomplish the above results in a year or two. Others take longer. It’s not a race. There is no “business Olympics”. The key is that they are practicing calm, intentional growth. The key is that their EXTERNAL growth is balanced by their INTERNAL CAPACITY to handle that growth. That’s the culture we live by in our company.
THE WORLD NEEDS WOMEN WHO PRACTICE CALM, INTENTIONAL GROWTH. Do you honestly think Haliburton, GE, McDonald’s or Facebook are going to model what sustainable growth looks like? Nope. It’s on us.
I invite you to book a growth audit and partner with me, my brilliant colleagues and our extraordinary clients to build your Jewel Business.
Want More?
- Book a growth call with my team. We are very good at pinpointing the ONE THING that will drive the lion’s share of your growth.
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- Listen to Podcast 444: What is a Jewel Business